Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)
Definition
A serine protease secreted by endometrial cells and vascular endothelium that converts plasminogen to plasmin. Elevated in menstrual blood relative to peripheral blood, driving the characteristic non-clotting property.
Related terms
- D-dimer
- A fibrin degradation product generated when cross-linked fibrin is cleaved by plasmin. Elevated D-dimer in menstrual blood reflects the active fibrinolytic process;...
- Endometrial shedding
- The physiological process by which the functional layer of the uterine endometrium is broken down and expelled during menstruation. The shedding process...
- Fibrinolysis
- The enzymatic breakdown of fibrin by plasmin, which is generated from plasminogen by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Menstrual blood has high tPA...
- Matrix metalloprotease 10 (MMP-10)
- An endopeptidase of the MMP family involved in extracellular matrix remodelling during endometrial breakdown and shedding. Significantly elevated in menstrual blood and...
- mRNA profiling
- Detection of messenger RNA transcripts specific to particular tissues or body fluids. Endometrial-specific transcripts (LEFTY2, MMP-10 mRNA, others) can distinguish menstrual blood...
Explained in
- Menstrual Blood versus Peripheral BloodA serine protease secreted by endometrial cells and vascular endothelium that converts plasminogen to plasmin. Elevated in menstrual blood relative to peripher...